Figure 2

The effect of cytolytic DNA immunisation on early phases of antigen presentation to CD8⁺ T cells in vivo. (A) C57BL/6.SJL (CD45.1⁺, CD45.2⁻) recipient mice were immunised via the ID route with 100 μg of NS3-12del PRF (n = 3), OVA-12del D483A PRF (n = 7), OVA-12del PRF (n = 7) or were unimmunised (n = 3). Four days later, 5 × 10⁵ C57BL/6 Rag^−/− OT-I cells (CD45.2⁺) labelled with 10 μM CFSE were adoptively transferred (i.v.) into each recipient mouse and proliferation of transferred CD8⁺ cells in the CLN was monitored 4 days later. Representative dot plots obtained from CLN samples and gated on CD8⁺ CD45.2⁺ cells are shown. The numbers in the gates indicate the percentage of lymphocytes that are single cells (doublet discriminated), CD8⁺ CD45.2⁺ with reduced levels of CFSE. (B) Mean + SEM of the percentages indicated in A (left panel) and the mean + SEM of the absolute number of CD8⁺ CD45.2⁺ CFSElo cells (right panel). The results are representative of 2 independent experiments. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to determine the statistical significance of the data.